Life-saving apparatus.



T. INGARAMO. LIFE SAVING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED man, 1908.

Patented Dec. 13, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

M H MM T. INGARAMO." LIFE SAVING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED ITEM,1908.

978,378. Patented Dec.-.13, 1910. g zsnnm s-snnn-rz.

TENEDOS INGARAMO, 0F Zlll'RICltlI, SWITZERLAND.

LIFE-SAVING- APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Dec, 13, 1910.

Application filed February 14, 1908. Serial No. 415,936.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, TENEDOS INGARAMO, a subject of the Kingof-Italy,residing in Zurich, in the Canton of Zurich, Republic of Switzerland,(whose post-office address is No. 51 N ordstrasse, Zur1ch,) haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Life-Saving Apparatus;and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference markedthereon, which form a part of this specification.

I have applied for patent in Germany on February th 1907, application I.9745 765- a and application I. 9746 765 (1 in Switzerland on July 22nd1907 Patent No. 38736; in Austria on October 24th 1907, twoapplications; and in Hungary on October 24th 1907, application No. 14927and on October 25th 1907, application No. 15042.

The invention relates to life-saving apparatus for the use of personswho are in v danger of drowning.

The object of the invention is to provide an effective form of thisdevice and one which can be flung for short or long distances so that byits means persons who are even far from the shore or from a ships sidecan be rescued.

The apparatus is in the form of a float consisting of severalindependent bags, so that if one of the'bags should leak, the bagcoupled thereto may continue efficient and only the former bag will needreplacing.

In the accompanying drawings are illustrated different ways of carryingout the invention.

Figure 1 is an elevation of a spherical life-saving apparatus in itsclosed form and when not in use. Fig. 2 is a plan of same partly insection open or ready for use but on a smaller scale; Fig. 3 isanelevation of an elongated projectile form of life saving apparatus whennot in use; Fig. 4 is a sect1on on the line w-w of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is aplan of one of the floats; Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section on a largerscale, through the means for connecting one bag with another Fig. 7 is across section through a pinch band in the center of Fig. 6; Fig. 8- is avertical sectionthrough aconnect-ing piece for the bag of a float,carrying a gas carshort length of plpe g Referring first to Figs. 1 and2, and Figs.

5 and 6, the effective part b of the apparatus is placed in a dividedmetal sphere a, the halves of the sphere being connected together bybands 0 which are soluble in water and which may be of a materialhereinafter referred to, these bands being wound around angular flangesd of the hemispheres and protected if desiredin some suitable way fromaccidental detachment. The flanges (Z on one half may carry springs mforassist ing the opening of the parts. Each hemisphereis provided with aneyelet e to which a cord f is attached. In the present instancetheactual lifesaving apparatus Z) consists of a floatable beltcomprising four airtight bags 9, connected together in pairs. In theleft hand pair of bags the communication between the two is normallyshut ofl by means of a pinch band 2', which is soluble in water and islapped around the intermediate piece or connection 72. which is in theform of'a flexible tube. Thetwo bags are assumed to be charged withliquid or'solid material which when mixed, generate gases that inflatethe bags; one substance is placed in one of the two left bags in Fig. 2and another substance in the other, which unite to form the gas. Anarrow neck on each bag connected in an airtight manner with a shortlength of pipe g (Fig. 6) against which a is pressed by a flanged collar9 The two lengths of pipe g are connected together by the piece of theflexible 'tube h. The pinch band 2' which is lapped several times aroundthe flexible tube 72,, isfastened to the flexible tube at one end and,to itself at the other. The pinch band may consist of felt impregnatedwith sugar solution. Non-return valves 0, which close under theinfluence of differential pressure, are provided in the lengths of pipe9 or 9 Should one bag of a palr become leaky, only the gas contained inthesame escapes,,the non-return valve 0 retaining the gas in the otherbag, which is therefore still in position to discharge its functions andsupport a person above water. The valves 0, Fig. 6, operate in thefollowing manner: As long as the connection between the bags isinterrupted by means of the pinch band 2', there will be no pressureupon the valves '0, which therefore will be opened and permit thesubstances to pass through 35 comes leaky.

- connection between th'e'portions otthet'u'bje.

tube lb until the substances reach the contracted portion of. the tubeh.When the his established, the substances pass, in'iite andgeneratethe'gas, which inflates the bags.

' The pressure exercised upon the two sides of the valves being equalthe valves have no ha I 7 u I e in alternative arliangement isshownon 15K is etfected tendency to close. 'Butif oneof the bags. should leak, thegas escapes therefrom and,

the gas in the other bagclo'ses the adjacent "valve 0, so that no gasescapes from this 3 gitudinally into'three parts; The three cylindricalparts} a, a a? of the casinga are which therefore continues efficientthe right hand side of Fig 2 and iii-Figs. 8 and 9 there being a carbondioxid'capsule K'with valve'K for the source of gas for inflating thebags. The opening of the valve y means of. a s indie M, which is mountedin 'a' T-COIII IQCtIOnL, has

"its two. ends bent in opposite directions,and v is provided with alifting arm M At one end of the shaft a spring N exerts a pulltending toopen the valve K The otherend of the spindle is attached toa fixed arm Lby means of-a band if that is soluble in water, so' that in ordinary.circumstances the spring N is unable to turn the spindle M or the arm Mto open the valve K As-soon, however, as the band 71 gets into the wateritdissolves and sets free the spindle l, the

' influence of the spring N thus at once opening the valveK andinflating the bags. In this case, also, non-returnvalves O maintain thepressure in one bag f the other one bev The bags areinelosed in anelastic or flexible envelop Z: which holds them together in the form ofa belt. The envelop is is attached to the hemispheres aa by means ofcords Z. Y

- In use the i and flung at the person in the water. 'AS.

soon as it reaches the water, the sealing. bands (z'loosen automaticallyand the halves a are forced apart bythe pressure of the. springs m. Thebelt I; nowcomes. in contact'with the" water, and the pinch-band-iloosens automatically sothat the materials hitherto stored apart in thetwo bags of the left hand pair, vmix together and generate gas, whichinflates the left hand" pair of bags. In the arrangement: em loyed'inthe right hand pairof bags the and i restrainin the operatinglever M forthe valve K o the gas cartridge Kwould. alsobeiautomaticallyloosened,.so thatthe valve K would be opened and thecompressed as contained in the cartridge K would in ate the two bags.The {person to be rescued holds onto the belt or places it-around him.1' By pulling the cords f the person can then be drawn ashore or onboardshi .1

In order that the li e belt may assume a circular form when inflated astrip of inelas apparatus is held by thecord l l i land in the form of ahand grenade can be 'one casing 11*.

tic material is aflixed to one side of the envelop 7c.

The apparatus when-closed as in Fig. -1

flung a distance of about a hundred yards.

.For longer distances up to 1100' yards, therocket" projectile type'oflife saving apparatus shown in Figs. 3 and 4 is applicable.

for example a life belt as shown in Fig. 2, 1s inclosed in acylindrical-casing a", made l1i--this type the-actual life saving'apparatus, I

of millboard for example-and divisible lonv bound together by means ofgirths' 'n fas.

tened on to a wooden bar'o and are thus held firmly together and to saidbar 0. The part 1 a is nailed on to'the bar. Eachgirth nis provided witha coupling formed of two bows p and a binding strip-g which holds themtogether and is of some material that v is soluble in water.. A cap ofwood-fol example, is placed on the upper end of the casing (t and a baseS with dome shaped cavity in its bottom, isput on'the lower .end

of same A ropeholder t, consisting of a bent rod turning on a pivot u,isfastened on the bar 0, and a pin a is also fixed on this bar, the ropeholder t. and pin 1) being ordinarily'coupl'edtogetherby a binding stripw of some material that is soluble in water the U rope holder tbeingnormally pressed outward at this end by a spring" t. To the rope'holdert is attached a life-line m on which is suspended the end of the line ffastened to the life belt contained in the casing a The bar 0 isattached in some suitable way to 'the'rod z of a rocket 2 the head ofthe rocket fittingv into the domed under surface of the base S.

of life-saving apparatus, the rocket and apparatus are laid on a slopingtrack and the rocket is fired, and flies to the desired spot carryingthe-life saving apparatus with it. As soon as the apparatus falls .intothe water, the coupling bands 9 are released automatically, sothat theparts of the casing 11 open out or fall .apa'rtand the life beltcontained therein is freed. The pinch bands 71 of this beltor the strips71 on the valve lever M in the case of-gas cartridges'K then loosen automatically inthe water and the bags are 7 inflated by the generated orstored up gases as in the case of the first form. The .cap 1' andtherope holder t is moved away fromthe pin 0 by the pressure of the sring 25 Several. life belts may be inclosed in the I and base S arealsoset free when the casing I (zfalls apart. The strip 10 isalsodissolved,

. ing hold of thelifebelt', can be drawn into a I 105 To make use oftherocket-projectile type I bination a divided projectile-likereceptacle,.

automatically releasable means responsive to the action of Water forholding together the parts of the receptacle, one or more floatablebodies inclosed in the receptacle, and meansoperating to inflate thefloating bodies on their leaving the receptacle falling into the water.v

2. In a life-saving apparatus, and in combination a dividedprojectile-like receptacle, automatically releasable means responsive tothe action of water for holding-together the parts of the receptacle,one or more floatable bodies inclosed'in the receptacle, and bandssoluble in Water for separating the interiors of the bodies, said bodiescontaining substances which when'united form a gas.

3. In a life-saving apparatus and in combination a dividedprojectile-like receptacle, bands soluble in water for holding togetherthe parts of the receptacle, one or more float able bodies inclosedinthe receptacle, and means for automatically inflating said floatablebody on its falling into water. 4. In. a life-saving apparatus, thecombination of several bags, means for automati cally shutting offcommunication between the bags when one of them becomes leaky, adetachable intermediate piece for connecting the bags together and apinch band, soluble in water, for obstructing the intermediate 5. In alifesaving apparatus, the combination ofseveral bags,-means forautomatically shutting off communication between 'the bags when one ofthem becomes leaky, a

' tion, for locking gas capsule and an intermediate piece for connectingthe bags with one another and with said gas capsule.

6. In a life-saving apparatus, the combination of several bags, meansfor automatically shutting 01f communication between the bags when oneof them becomes leaky a gas capsule a detachable'intermediate piece forconnecting the bags with. one another and with said gas capsule, andmeans-for automatically opening the gas capsule when the bag falls intoWater.

7. Ina life-saving apparatus the combination of a divided receptacle,felt bands impregnated with sugar solution for holding together theparts of the receptacle, and one or more flpating bodies inclosed in thereceptacle.

8. In a life saving apparatus, the combination of several bags, meansfor automatically shutting off communication between the bags when oneof them becomes leaky, a piece of flexible tubing to connect the bagstogether, and a band of felt impregnated .with sugar solution forpinching the flexible tube.

9. In a life-saving apparatus, the combination of several bags, meansforautomatically shutting off communication between 'them when one ofthem becomes leaky,a gas capsule, a valve for same, a detachableintermedia'te piece for connecting the bags together and with said gascapsule a spring. actuated lever controlling said valve and a band offelt impre nated with sugar solusald lever. In testimony whereof, I havesigned my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribingwitnesses.

. TENEDOS Witnesses:

' CHREsoEN'rINE STEFANO,

A.-FERRARL INGARAMO.

